hydroquinone compounding cream for melasma

[Anonymous]

toothpaste, rice powder, baking soda, lemon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:derm gave me 2 prescriptions to a compounding pharmacy and i filled this first one containing:
8% hydroquinone/0.1% tretinoin/1% kojic acid/4% niacinamide/0.025% fluocinolone

it cleared up a lot of melasma/sun damage (but not all) in the first 6 weeks. because it has hydroquinone, i was told to use it nightly for only 6 weeks and stay off it for 6 weeks while using the 2nd prescription. i did not fill the 2nd compounding cream (8% tranexamic acid/10% azelaic/2% niacinamide) because i have regular 0.05% tazoratene and also azelaic 15% i alternate.

does it matter i am not using the tranexamic compound - did any one here have better results by alternating that in?

any one here using this hydroquinone compounding cream indefinitely (on and off every 6 weeks)? i was warned melasma will return even with good sunscreen and avoiding sun.

8% hydroquinone seems high but what if you don't see any improvements in your melasma by 6 weeks? Can you go on it again after 6 weeks of rest, and keep doing that on and off throughout the year? Any concerns about discoloration caused by long term hydroquinone use?

[Anonymous]

“ i did not fill the 2nd compounding cream (8% tranexamic acid/10% azelaic/2% niacinamide) because i have regular 0.05% tazoratene and also azelaic 15% i alternate.”

I understand the alternation because hydroquinone and tranexamic acid both target the same issue, but did your derm tell you to stop tazoratene (retinoid) while using the other products? Because I have used hydroquinone and a retinoid together, along with products containing niacinamide and azelaic acid. The niacinamide % is fairly low.

[Anonymous]

I cycle hydroquinone and have for years - first for melasma and now for sun spots. However, I use straight 4% HQ rather than a compounded version, and I do 6 weeks on/6 weeks off. I don’t rotate with a compounded tranexamic but I have an OTC cream I use with that ingredient. Are you hesitant because of cost?

[Anonymous]

i am hesitant to fill the tranexamic just because i have a lot of tazoratene i want to use up before it expires, so hope this is just as good in the 6 weeks off-hydroquinone cycle

the hydroquinone cycle has tretinoin in the compound, so that's why i don't use tazoratene during that time which is very similar to tretinoin

[Anonymous]

Ok I get you on the HQ cycle but why not use the tazoratene along with the tramexamic for the off cycle?

[Anonymous]

AM: - Rinse with water.

Apply Facetheory exaglow serum on WET face.
The serum is a cocktail of skin lighteners (trenaxemic acid which has shown efficacy for melasma, liquorice root extract, vitamin c derivative, niacinamide etc)

Right on top, no waiting time, cerave moisturising cream in the tub
sunscreen (eucerin photoageing control spf 50) even when indoors ofc and re apply every 2 hours
PM

Gentle cleanser (vitamin c cream cleanser by Facetheory)
cerave lotion pm
after it dries, neutrogena rapid wrinkle repair.


FWIW, this works. Honestly, I saw a difference with just using a lot of Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair—and my derm noticed it as well. I’m not using hydroquinone because it’s a known carcinogen.